I fully expect the next rev of the MBP to drop the optical and gain an MBA inspired case. If I could get a 512GB SSD and 8GB of RAM (for parity with my current MBP), I would happily take a regression in processor, even the wild hit going from the current i7 back to C2D. Put a higher res screen on the 15, and include Firewire, and I'm in heaven, but knock a pound or two off with a redesigned case (from losing the optical and using a custom SSD form factor) and I'll buy.

Including the OS on a flash drive just says to me that shiny plastic disk enthusiasts will have to look for a new supplier of mobile hardware. The DVD drive is finished in the Macintosh.